Named places that "attract" people the most

Scientists from the UK and USA have found that people more often experience warm memories of places near water - seas, lakes, and rivers - than of forests, mountains, or fields. It is these "blue landscapes" that possess the greatest emotional appeal and can have a significant psychological impact. The work is published in the journal Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology (CRESP).

Participants - more than a thousand people aged 18 to 94 - described places they feel nostalgic about. Researchers compared these data with geolocation and also analyzed the language of descriptions. It turned out that such places were often described as "beautiful," with a "view," "aesthetically pleasing."

Places by the sea made up more than a quarter of all "nostalgic locations" for Britons (26%) and a fifth for Americans (20%). If lakes and rivers are added to them, the share of "water" places increases to 35% in the UK and 30% in the USA. For comparison, rural areas and mountains are mentioned in only 10% of cases.

"We expected people to more often recall green landscapes, as many studies emphasize their benefits for mental health. But it turned out that it is the blue - water - places that become the main anchors of nostalgia," noted Dr. Elizabeth Militaru, the project leader.

From a scientific point of view, they have common features: brightness, color saturation and high contrast, as well as moderate complexity - what scientists call fractal structure. The seashore, winding lake shore or river often possess exactly such visual properties. Too chaotic scenes, for example in a forest, on the contrary, can cause anxiety, while too monotonous ones - boredom.

Researchers suggest taking into account the results of the work in urban planning, as providing access to water and green landscapes - especially in dense urban environments - can play a key role in maintaining mental health.